The Decision to Sign Executive Order 9066 and Japanese Interment: Actual Outcome Signing of the Order On February 19, 1942, EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066 was passed and signed by FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. HE ALSO DECIDED TO ENGAGE IN WAR. This enabled the military to have the ability to remove any or all people from a military area “as seemed necessary or desirable”(history.com 1). The secretary of War, HENRY STIMSON, and the military commanders were given the duty to make the restrictions people will need to get into the military areas. After Pearl Harbor, the military claimed the entire west coast was a military area. There was a fear that if the Japanese were too close to the coast, there might be SPIES helping the enemy. So this resulted in forcing the Japanese ancestry into internment camps; part of the Executive Order. The most strategic locations along the coast were the first to be evacuated of Japanese-Americans within 5 days of the Order being issued. This attack planned by NAGANO OSAMI was a devistating loss for America.
japanese internment Japanese American Internment Camps 1942
Evacuation
A poster that had instruction for Japanese Americans during the time of Internment April 1942
of the Japanese Throughout the year, over 120,000 Japanese-Americans were moved inland and taken to ten different internment camps. The camps were in the following places; Granada, Colorado; Gila River, Arizona;Heart Mountain, Wyoming; Jerome, Arkansas; Manzanar, California; Minidoka, Idaho; Poston, Arizona; Rohwer, Arkansas; Topaz, Utah and Tule Lake, California. “The U.S justified their action by claiming that there was a danger of those of Japanese descent spying for the Japanese”(historyonthenet 1). Over two thirds of the Japanese that were ordered to the internment camps had never showed any disloyalty to the country. Innocent citizens were being punished. This ruined lives for the loyal Japanese-American citizens. “Before the Japanese were put into the camps, they were already having restrictions placed on them. The U.S Army had established restricted areas that they were not allowed to go to, and a curfew of 6pm” (Bell 1). The Japanese were forced to leave their homes, some not getting more than 48 hours of notice. Many tried to sell their belongings in order to get as much money as possible before being interned, but almost everything the Japanese sold was for much less than its actual value. Their lives were growing worse and worse, and then they were sent to the camps. The American government was making the lives of Japanese Americans worse by punishing all those innocent people, but i was for the protection of America they argued.
Life in Camps The quality of living at the camps was anything but pleasant. Families of about 5 or 6 lived in little 20x25 ft barracks covered in tarpaper. There were no plumbing or cooking utilities in the barracks either. All shower, toilet, and laundry facilities were public and usually shared between about 250 people. The Japanese-Americans worked
Ariel Photo of Granada Center from the Water Tower - Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado. 1943
in these camps, as if they were in their home town. To make the camps seem less like a prison, there were stores, shoe repairs, and barber shops within the camps. Education was provided for all people up to high-school; and medical care was provided for everyone. (u-s-history 1). The internees had to pay 45 cents per person for the food. “At each sitting, 250 to 300 people were fed cafeteria style in crowded conditions”(u-s-history 1). Although the life had somewhat normal businesses, it was still unlike what their normal lives were. The War Relocation Authority was created to help assist the internees to become adjusted to a new way of life in the camps. The idea of the camp setup was to get the Japanese Americans adapted to a the lifestyle, in which they wouldn’t want to return to their old one. The camps were not nearly as bad as the ones the Germans and Nazis ran, but they were still controlled and watched by the American government.
Resolving the Issues After the fear faded away, action was taken to let the Japanese return back to their normal lives. General Henry Pratt issued PUBLIC PROCLAMATION NO. 21 on December 17, 1944, allowing all “evacuees” to return home on January 2, 1945. (history.com 1) “On March 20, 1946, the last of the Internment camps, Tule Lake, was closed”(historyonthenet.com 1). Even though it seemed a blessing to return home, most of what they had was gone, and they lost most of their money. It took a while for them to recover, and have a "normal" life again. Many years later an act called the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 was signed by President Ronald Reagan that gave $20,000 to each family that was affected by the internment camps. From being in the camps, a large number of Japanese- Americans had suffered mental and physical health impacts. This was the government finally helping them obtain their normal American lives.
Signing of the Order
On February 19, 1942, EXECUTIVE ORDER 9066 was passed and signed by FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. HE ALSO DECIDED TO ENGAGE IN WAR. This enabled the military to have the ability to remove any or all people from a military area “as seemed necessary or desirable”(history.com 1). The secretary of War, HENRY STIMSON, and the military commanders were given the duty to make the restrictions people will need to get into the military areas. After Pearl Harbor, the military claimed the entire west coast was a military area. There was a fear that if the Japanese were too close to the coast, there might be SPIES helping the enemy. So this resulted in forcing the Japanese ancestry into internment camps; part of the Executive Order. The most strategic locations along the coast were the first to be evacuated of Japanese-Americans within 5 days of the Order being issued. This attack planned by NAGANO OSAMI was a devistating loss for America.
Evacuation
Throughout the year, over 120,000 Japanese-Americans were moved inland and taken to ten different internment camps. The camps were in the following places; Granada, Colorado; Gila River, Arizona;Heart Mountain, Wyoming; Jerome, Arkansas; Manzanar, California; Minidoka, Idaho; Poston, Arizona; Rohwer, Arkansas; Topaz, Utah and Tule Lake, California. “The U.S justified their action by claiming that there was a danger of those of Japanese descent spying for the Japanese”(historyonthenet 1). Over two thirds of the Japanese that were ordered to the internment camps had never showed any disloyalty to the country. Innocent citizens were being punished. This ruined lives for the loyal Japanese-American citizens. “Before the Japanese were put into the camps, they were already having restrictions placed on them. The U.S Army had established restricted areas that they were not allowed to go to, and a curfew of 6pm” (Bell 1). The Japanese were forced to leave their homes, some not getting more than 48 hours of notice. Many tried to sell their belongings in order to get as much money as possible before being interned, but almost everything the Japanese sold was for much less than its actual value. Their lives were growing worse and worse, and then they were sent to the camps. The American government was making the lives of Japanese Americans worse by punishing all those innocent people, but i was for the protection of America they argued.
Life in Camps
The quality of living at the camps was anything but pleasant. Families of about 5 or 6 lived in little 20x25 ft barracks covered in tarpaper. There were no plumbing or cooking utilities in the barracks either. All shower, toilet, and laundry facilities were public and usually shared between about 250 people. The Japanese-Americans worked
in these camps, as if they were in their home town. To make the camps seem less like a prison, there were stores, shoe repairs, and barber shops within the camps. Education was provided for all people up to high-school; and medical care was provided for everyone. (u-s-history 1). The internees had to pay 45 cents per person for the food. “At each sitting, 250 to 300 people were fed cafeteria style in crowded conditions”(u-s-history 1). Although the life had somewhat normal businesses, it was still unlike what their normal lives were. The War Relocation Authority was created to help assist the internees to become adjusted to a new way of life in the camps. The idea of the camp setup was to get the Japanese Americans adapted to a the lifestyle, in which they wouldn’t want to return to their old one. The camps were not nearly as bad as the ones the Germans and Nazis ran, but they were still controlled and watched by the American government.
Resolving the Issues
After the fear faded away, action was taken to let the Japanese return back to their normal lives. General Henry Pratt issued PUBLIC PROCLAMATION NO. 21 on December 17, 1944, allowing all “evacuees” to return home on January 2, 1945. (history.com 1) “On March 20, 1946, the last of the Internment camps, Tule Lake, was closed”(historyonthenet.com 1). Even though it seemed a blessing to return home, most of what they had was gone, and they lost most of their money. It took a while for them to recover, and have a "normal" life again. Many years later an act called the Civil Liberties Act of 1988 was signed by President Ronald Reagan that gave $20,000 to each family that was affected by the internment camps. From being in the camps, a large number of Japanese- Americans had suffered mental and physical health impacts. This was the government finally helping them obtain their normal American lives.